SANDAKAN POLLS | Early voting for the Sandakan parliamentary by-election involving 270 police personnel began at 8am today after two polling stations were opened.

The polling station at the Sandakan Marine Police Senior Officers’ Mess will remain open until 2pm, while the polling station at the Sandakan District Police Headquarters (IPD) Clubhouse will open until noon.

The agents of the candidates and election observers from organisations and NGOs appointed by the Election Commission (EC) will witness the early voting, while the EC will carry live streaming of the voting process on its Facebook page.

The Sandakan parliamentary constituency has two state constituencies, namely Tanjong Papat and Elopura with a total of 40,131 eligible voters, of which 39,856 are ordinary voters, five absentee voters and the rest early voters.

Of the total, 51 percent are Chinese voters, 45 percent are Muslim bumiputera, while the remaining electorate comprises other races. 

A total of 19,857 voters or 49.48 per cent of the total number of voters are males, while 20,274 or 50.52 percent are female voters.

This is the eighth by-election since the 14th general election (GE-14) on May 9 last year, with the first held at Sungai Kandis on Aug 4, Balakong and Seri Setia (Sept 8), Port Dickson (Oct 13), Cameron Highlands (Jan 26), Semenyih (March 2) and Rantau (April 13).

The Sandakan by-election will see a five-cornered fight between Pakatan Harapan candidate Vivian Wong of DAP; Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) candidate Linda Tsen Thau Lin and three independents comprising Sabah Amanah founder Hamzah Abdullah, businessperson Chia Siew Yung, and former officer at the Sandakan constituency service centre, Sulaiman Samat.

The parliamentary seat fell vacant after incumbent Stephen Wong died of a heart attack on March 28.

- Bernama